By Illinois Review
Embattled Illinois House Republican Minority Leader Tony McCombie is facing mounting criticism from Republican voters after her recent vote in favor of expanding transgender patients rights was revealed.
But the controversial vote, which has angered many in her district and across the state, has led to a noticeable decline in her popularity. And during a recent district tour, McCombie was met with small crowds and very little enthusiasm – signaling a bad sign of things to come for the Republican leader.
On Monday morning, former Republican nominee for Illinois Attorney General Thomas DeVore filed a federal lawsuit against McCombie for violating his First Amendment rights after he made “critical comments” of the GOP leader’s vote to support expanding transgender patient rights.
In an exclusive with Politico, DeVore said, “I’ve criticized her decisions as an elected official: Things that she’s doing, things that she’s voting on, people she takes money from. They’re perfectly politically appropriate issues to be debating, and she doesn’t want people to see, so she blocks me from being able to access her platform.”
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that official Facebook pages of public office holders are protected by the First Amendment – and unless the comments are obscene, or present a danger – they cannot be censored, deleted or blocked.
In Chicago, 25th Ward Alderman Jim Gardiner agreed to pay $157,500 in damages to settle a lawsuit filed by individuals whom he had blocked for being critical on his Facebook page. The move was a violation of First Amendment rights and he quickly agreed to settle the case.
The controversy continues – leading up too, and after voting in favor of the bill, McCombie received an influx of campaign donations from a progressive hospital association that’s been advocating for ‘woke’ policies.
Donation records with the state board of election indicate that McCombie accepted $47,500 in campaign donations from the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, which advocates, among other things – improving patient care for transgender and non-binary individuals.
Whether you’re in politics, or you’re a public figure, nothing is more humiliating than small crowds. In 2023, Naples, Florida-based realtor and Chicago AM 560 radio host Shaun Thompson took his show on the road in front of a live audience. Unfortunately, only a handful of people showed up when the room was set up for over a hundred.
During a presidential campaign rally in 2015, Republican Jeb Bush – younger brother of former President George W. Bush addressed a small crowd in Las Vegas – and those small crowds ultimately led to him dropping out of the race a few months later. Donald Trump would later win the nomination and the presidency – serving as the 45th and now 47th President of the United States.
Last week, McCombie was sworn in for another term as the representative of the 89th District for the 104th General Assembly, where she continues her role as Minority Leader of the House Republican Caucus.
